A decision made by Gov. Pat Quinn may leave thousands of state workers without a job by the end of the week.

The cuts are coming in the face of a budget deficit that doesn't leave enough money to pay the workers, the governor says. Quinn also plans to close a prison, juvenile detention center and homes for the mentally ill.

Quinn Passes Buck on Raise Cuts for Workers

Gov. Pat Quinn talks about why it's not his fault that raises for almost 30,000 state workers were cut from the Illinois budget. (Published Wednesday, July 6, 2011)

If no cuts are made, several agencies will run out of money by spring, Quinn says.

"We can't spend money we don't have," Quinn said Tuesday.

Quinn: We Must Raise Cigarette Prices

Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday signed legislation to make treatment options more affordable for residents battling cancer. In doing so, he celebrated public health initiatives and said he'd like to raise the prices of cigarettes in Illinois. (Published Wednesday, July 27, 2011)

The state's largest government employee union, AFSCME, promises to sue if the layoffs are made, much like they did over blocked pay raises.

And just like the pay raise situation, Quinn says these layoffs aren't his fault.

The governor insists lawmakers didn't leave him enough money to keep the state operating for a whole year. Quinn has asked for $2.2 billion more and already has made partial vetoes to the Legislature's budget.